The New England Patriots have been one of the most active teams in the NFL this offseason. They've signed over a dozen outside free agents, but they're reportedly on the verge of losing one of their own.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Las Vegas Raiders have signed Patriots restricted free agent linebacker Christian Elliss to an offer sheet. New England has until Monday to match.
The #Raiders have signed #Patriots restricted free agent LB Christian Elliss to an offer sheet, per the wire. New England has until Monday to match.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 19, 2025
As noted by Pelissero, "Elliss received the right of first refusal tender from the Patriots. He was undrafted, so New England receives no compensation if it doesn't match the offer sheet."
In five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and Patriots, Elliss has 117 tackles (68 solo), 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one interception. The majority of those came during his breakout 2024 season.
Elliss started 5 of 16 games in New England last season, totaling 80 tackles (42 solo), 1.5 sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery on defense and special teams.
He's been a valuable depth piece for New England's defense in recent years, but the organization's recent moves hinted at a likely divorce.
First, the Patriots signed former Raiders linebacker Robert Spillane to a 3-year, $37.5 million contract in the early stages of NFL Free Agency. Then earlier this week, the Patriots agreed to contract terms with former Tennessee Titans linebacker Jack Gibbens.
As a depth option with experience on special teams, Gibbens could be viewed as a one-for-one replacement for Elliss. That makes New England unlikely to match Las Vegas' offer sheet, but we won't know for sure until Monday.
Related: Patriots Have Former Seahawks All-Pro Wide Receiver "On Their Radar"
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 12:46 PM.